In the typical hay cutting operation, hay is mowed and baled utilizing well known hay baling machines so that the baled hay remain on the ground adjacent the location where the cutting has occurred. Obviously, the littering of a hay field with such bales poses a collection problem in that it is common to store such bales in a barn loft or the like. Usually, the collection of such bales is done manually by workers who load the bales onto a truck or the like for transport to a storage site following which the bales are unloaded and stored in the barn. Under such conditions, the time required to pick up, transport and store such bales is extensive so that frequently during the course of a day all of the bales are not collected. Thus, uncollected bales are exposed to inclement weather resulting in deterioration of the hay. Furthermore, the cost of collecting and storing such bales can be considerable considering not only the time involved but the number of workers required at a time when adequate farm personnel are difficult if not impossible to obtain.